Theidon claims retaliation for defending sexual assault victims

Team 5 Investigates uncovered serious allegations that Harvard University discriminated and retaliated against one of its own professors who criticized the school's handling of sexual assault complaints.

In an exclusive television interview with Team 5 Investigates' Karen Anderson, Dr. Kimberly Theidon expressed shock and disbelief at the university's actions.

"I never even thought twice about speaking out on their behalf. So who would have known it would cost me my job?" said Theidon, who said she was on the fast track for a full time tenured position at Harvard University.

The world renowned anthropology professor, who wrote two award winning books including one that inspired the Oscar nominated movie "The Milk of Sorrow," was recognized as one of Harvard's "most distinguished tenure-track faculty" who's made "truly extraordinary contributions to the University," according to records.

But last spring, Theidon said everything changed when she began speaking out in defense of survivors of sexual assault.

"At five different occasions, I was taken aside in my office and told the way to make it here at Harvard is to be a dutiful daughter," said Theidon who publicly defended sex assault victims who were being attacked in the comments section of the school's student paper, The Crimson.

Theidon also criticized Harvard's handling of their cases on her blog.

"I'm not going to be silent, I was not going to be a dutiful daughter so they denied me tenure and effectively fired me," said Theidon.

Now she's blowing the whistle on the university by filing a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination alleging she was discriminated and retaliated against for criticizing the university's handling of sexual assault cases.

"This case is about the importance of women who are sexually assaulted on campus having someone to go to as the first responder who will not be afraid to help them," said her attorney Elizabeth Rogers.

A spokesman for the University declined Team 5 Investigates request for an interview, citing the pending litigation.

However, in a written statement, the university told Team 5 it "would never deny tenure due to a faculty member's advocacy for students who have experienced sexual assault." Instead, tenure decisions are "based on the quality of a faculty member's research, teaching and university citizenship."

"I think in principal that is probably true, but in practice, they violate it often and in my case they violated it," said Theidon. However she said she doesn't have any regrets," I would do it all over again, only I would be louder."

Theidon has appealed the university's decision. But as of right now, her employment is scheduled to end in June.

This comes as the U.S. Department of Education is already investigating another complaint from a group of woman who claim Harvard mishandled their reports of sexual assault.

ASSAULT PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND INCREASED CONFIDENTIALITY FOR VICTIMS WHO ARE HESITANT TO SHARE THEIR STORIES. A FORMER HARVARD PROFESSOR SAYS SHE TRIED TO EXPOSE THE PROBLEM OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON CAMPUS, AND IT ENDED UP COSTING HER HER JOB. TEAM 5 INVESTIGATES KAREN ANDERSON INVESTIGATES THE NATIONS MOST PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY. I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT STICKING UP ON THEIR BEHALF. WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD COST HIM A JOB? KIMBERLY TIDE AND WAS ON THE FAST-TRACK TRACK FOR A FULL-TIME TENURE POSITION THAT HARD WORD -- AT HARVARD. THE WORLD RENOWNED ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR WHO WROTE TWO AWARD-WINNING BOOKS, INCLUDING ONE THAT INSPIRED THE MOVIE "THE MILK OF SORROW," WAS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF HARVARD'S MOST DISTINGUISHED FACULTY WHO HAD MADE TRULY EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY, BUT SHE TOLD TEAM 5 INVESTIGATES LAST SPRING EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN SHE BEGAN SPEAKING OUT IN DEFENSE OF SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE. ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, I WAS TAKEN ASIDE IN MY OFFICE AND TOLD, THE WAY TO MAKE IT AT HARVARD WAS TO BE QUIET. STUDENTS CRITICIZED HARVARD'S HANDLING OF THE CASES ON HER BLOG. I WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE DUTIFUL DAUGHTER. THEY DENIED ME TENURE AND EFFECTIVELY FIRED ME. NOW SHE IS BLOWING THE WHISTLE, FILING THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION AGAINST DISSEMINATION, ALLEGING SHE WAS DISCRIMINATED AND RETALIATED AGAINST FOR CRITICIZING THE UNIVERSITY'S HANDLING OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES. THIS CASE IS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN WHO ARE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ON CAMPUS HAVING SOMEONE TO GO TO AS THE FIRST RESPONDER WHO WILL NOT BE AFRAID TO HELP THEM. WE WON HARVARD TO LOOK AT THEIR POLICIES VERY SIMPLY, TO SEE WHAT IT IS, TO LEARN ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY RECORD -- DECLINED TEAM FIVES REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW, CITING THE PENDING LITIGATION. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, HE TOLD TEAM FIVE THE UNIVERSITY WOULD NEVER DENY TENURE TO A FACULTY MEMBER'S ADVOCACY FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL ASSAULT. INSTEAD, TENURE DECISIONS ARE BASED ON THE QUALITY OF A FACULTY MEMBER'S RESEARCH, TEACHING, AND UNIVERSITY CITIZENSHIP. I THINK IN PRINCIPLE THAT IS PROBABLY TRUE. IN PRACTICE, THEY VIOLATE THAT QUITE OFTEN. IN MY CASE, THEY VIOLATED IT. SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY REGRETS. I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, EXCEPT I WOULD BE LOUDER. THIS COMES AS THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS INVESTIGATING ANOTHER COMPLAINT FROM A GROUP OF WOMEN WHO

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